Lee Seung-gi Donates 300 Million Won to KAIST

Donation Ceremony Held on the Afternoon of the 3rd

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi donated 300 million won to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) for the establishment of its New York campus in the United States.

On the 3rd, KAIST announced that Lee Seung-gi met with President Lee Kwang-hyung at the KAIST Dogok Campus in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon and held a donation ceremony for the 300 million won development fund.

Lee Seung-gi expressed, "I am honored to be able to donate to such a valuable place that nurtures talent," adding, "I donated with the hope that our country will become a prosperous nation globally in the field of education."

According to KAIST, Lee Seung-gi personally contacted President Lee Kwang-hyung at the end of last year to express his intention to donate. KAIST plans to use the entire donation as a fund for establishing the New York campus.

Since announcing the plan to establish the New York campus in 2021, KAIST signed cooperation agreements with New York University and New York City last year. Currently, KAIST and New York University are each working on creating collaborative spaces. They are planning joint research involving over 60 faculty members across seven fields, including robotics, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and climate change. They are also discussing educational cooperation, including exchange students, minors, double majors, and joint degrees.

President Lee said, "This has become a great strength and encouragement on the path to becoming a world-class university," and added, "We will strive to help our country's talents expand onto the international stage through what only KAIST can do."

Lee Seung-gi also responded, "I believe science is the foundation of countless innovations in this era, and KAIST is leading that effort," adding, "Besides helping underprivileged groups, I wanted to be involved in nurturing knowledge."

Meanwhile, at the donation ceremony, President Lee proposed the position of ambassador for the New York campus, which Lee Seung-gi accepted on the spot.